Thursday, July 20, 2006

Finally, I was able to get the post midyear exam photos from Leanne. Now, considering that there are many people in these photos that don't necessarily look their best (including yours truly), I won't inundate you with them.

Enjoy...

This is the first photo of the night! Leanne, Lou, Kim and I went back to Lou's place straight after the exam to get ready. Lou's mum made them roasted chicken sandwiches and she made me a vegemite sandwich! There's always a source of beautiful red wine at Lou's house...here's to being half done 2nd year!

And yes, that is a goatee on my face. :) I didn't shave for about 2 weeks, and kept a shell of a goatee. I must admit that it turned out quite well. However, I got rid of it whilst in Darwin because it reminded me too much of my older brother. :)

M. was gracious enough to have the MBBS II midyear party at his bar, LUDO. I guess it really does pay to know the right people. :) This is a photo of Marlo, me and Param. Param had a flight the next morning to Vancouver, as she was going to a couple of her girlfriends' weddings. If I were her, then I would have been absolutely brutalised for that long transpacific flight.

So, here's where the night just gets really out of whack. The photos tell a story (and I'm leaving many parts out).

Yes, this is me and Kim. She was smiles all night and I had that dorky look for most of the evening as well.

Here's the KSG! And if it weren't for these people, I don't think that that I would have passed my midyear exam. They are a solid bunch, a wealth of information, and a supportive circle for ideas and talking through your ideas of how things really are. THANKS GUYS!

There are more photos but they just get really silly after this part of the night.

Monday, July 03, 2006

The starting of the second week of the second semester of second year. Apparently, our midyear exam results come out on Wednesday. Am I nervous? worried? sure a little. However, I know full well that it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things. I have had several discussions with other students, ad nauseum, about what it may mean. At the moment, we are in the middle of the pyschiatry block and it's definitely much harder than I thought that it would be. Sure, people may think that it's all artsy-fartsy but there are some intricate systems and the interplay between systems that can make it complicated.

Oh - before I forget, I know that I am supposed to put up photos from my midyear post-exam festivities but I still haven't gotten my hands on any photos. Leanne had heaps of photos on her camera; in fact, they told a story of the night. However, her photos got wiped cleaned. Shit. Hopefully, some photos will surface.

Back to the grindstone is it. I'm off to Perth on Thursday morning for the Australian Medical Students' Association - Developing World Conference. I'll be back late on Monday night. I know that some people that are reading this are thinking, 'why are doing all this travelling knowing full well that you will be missing more uni in about 1.5 months?' Yes, it's true. I know that I am taking a small risk by missing a few classes - but at the end of they day, I know that I will make up for it all. Besides, at the moment, I'm trying to get into the habit of studying as if I will not have the chance to study whilst being overseas (even though I will be bringing my notes and some small key texts with me). I know that a good friend of mine thought that way before she went back to Canada for her brother's wedding. When she got back, she only had less than two weeks before the midyear; meanwhile, I will have almost two months before my finals.

-EDIT-

It's Monday morning and I fly out late this afternoon back to Brisbane. The weekend has been absolutely fantastic! First off, Perth is an absolutely beautiful city. People are extremely friendly, plenty of things to do and see, and (to my pleasant surprise) a very multicultural city. The Developing World Conference's theme this year was "Telling Truths" and it was the common thread that brought all the speeches, presentations, workshops, and plenary sessions together. I ran into old friends from last year's DWC, which was held in Syndey and met new ones. It was so comforting to be in an environment where there are like-minded individuals, and the common thing thread that runs through every person is the fact that they care about the state of healthcare in the developing world (and within Australia).

I got my results from my midyear examination - and I passed! WOOHOO! However, I didn't do as well as I wanted to do and apart from knowing my stuff better, I don't know how I can change my study tactics. Suggestions?

Alright, I'm running out of time and I need to get on to explore more of this city!